Integrated Language Use (Cross-Skill Tasks)
What integrated tasks test
Integrated items chain two skills: read a notice and write a reply, listen to a message and complete a form, or read a graph and explain it in a sentence. Nara's paper uses these to check whether you can transfer information accurately and keep the right format, tone, and word limit.
Core rules
- Identify the task chain: what you read or hear, what you must produce, and who the audience is.
- Extract only the information the task requires; do not copy the whole source.
- Match register: a note to a teacher needs 'Dear Mr. Tanaka' and polite forms; a note to a friend can be casual.
- Check constraints: number of sentences, words, points to include, and whether a question must be asked.
- Reread the source after writing to confirm names, times, and places.
Worked example
Source email: 'Our class will visit Nara Park on Friday. Please bring a lunch and wear comfortable shoes.' Task: Write a two-sentence reply confirming the items and asking about the meeting time. Model: 'I will bring a lunch and wear comfortable shoes. What time should we meet on Friday?' Reasoning: The reply confirms both requested items and asks one relevant question. It uses polite future forms and repeats 'Friday' to stay clear. It does not add unrelated information or exceed two sentences.
Traps that cost marks
Answering only one part of a two-part task; copying the source without changing 'I' to 'you' or adjusting tense; ignoring the word limit; using the wrong format when a sentence is required; and mixing up a time or place from the source. Always match the produced text to the exact task words.